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“DEVIL IN DISGUISE: |
| (C.C. 007), multi-region DVD |
| A review by Brian Young |
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The latest Climate Control DVD captures Robert Gordon on the 4th
night of his 30th anniversary tour, at the Rock Café in Tallinn (Estonia)
in October 2007. Backing is provided by the capable Marco DiMaggio on guitar, with Matteo Giannetti on bass and Marco Barsanti on drums. Things kick off much as expected with a confident run through longtime set-opener ‘The Way I Walk’. The sound is crystal clear and Gordon is in fine voice. Suited and booted the Di Maggio trio might look like extras from a low budget remake of ‘Reservoir Dogs’, but never miss a beat as they launch into ‘Lover Boy’. Gordon has always had an eye for talented guitarists and Dimaggio’s two short ‘n’ snappy lead breaks here prove that this man’s every bit as dextrous as his much vaunted predecessors. Next up a punchy ‘Mess O’ Blues’ is the first of several cuts Gordon will play from his recent Presley tribute CD. It’s not an obvious Presley song to cover and frankly all the better for it too! Joe Brown’s ‘Picture Of You’ is next and though it’s played well I’ve gotta come clean and ‘fess up that I just never thought this song suited RG’s style at all. For me it’s just too goddamn British and strait-laced...! Oh well, can't win ‘em all! However, ‘I Just Found Out’ follows and, to me, this is the kinda material Gordon simply excels at. He’s cool and commanding, and DiMaggio knocks off a couple more sprightly lead breaks that show just what he’s capable of. Two more EP cuts next – ‘Devil in Disguise’ and ‘Little Sister’. Though the audience laps up this (over)familiar material, I’ve just heard these songs far too many time before. Still, the band tackle ‘em confidently and the sheer power and range of Gordon’s voice – which is in absolutely amazing form – pulls them through. Dion’s ‘Wanderer’ is up next - and again what has become a hackneyed cover in the hands of many a lesser combo actually turns out kinda neat. Another Brit-rocker ‘Move It’ follows and again I’m afraid I just don’t think this song is really suited to RG’s style. Everything really kicks up a gear with the one-two sucker punch romp thru ol’ faves ‘The Fool’ and ‘Rock Therapy’ – two songs which RG made his own many years back. By now too the DiMaggio trio have really loosened up and things are really smokin’. More Elvismania next with ‘Suspicion’. Another song I don’t value overmuch but again RG’s vocal aplomb carries it off. ‘Look Who’s Blue’ keeps up the pace and by now Robert and the band are really firing on all cylinders as they race into the home straight. ‘Fire’, the hit that never was, always thrills and ‘The Worrying Kind’ raises the bar even further. ‘Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache’ is up next. Always one of my fave songs, Gordon sings it every bit as strong as he did all those years ago – kinda amazing! And finally ‘Rock billy Boogie’ wraps everything up with DiMaggio and his compadres really cutting loose and going for broke. Phew! As a souvenir of the current RG live shows this is pretty much essential. Some viewers might be disappointed that the set list isn’t just a quick and predictable reprise of Gordon’s most well known numbers – but to me it’s neat to be able to see and hear less familiar material getting a well deserved outing. Gordon has a well-deserved reputation as being a hard taskmaster to his backing bands – but thankfully the DiMaggio Trio aren’t intimidated overmuch and when they cut loose they are really sumthin’ kinda special. Perhaps most impressive of all though is Robert Gordon himself. Sure he’s older (but who ain’t?) but check out that voice! Close your eyes and it’s every bit as strong as it ever was! In fact, in the deeper registers it actually sounds even more powerful and commanding than before - a truly remarkable performance indeed! As we’ve come to expect from Climate Control releases it’s obvious that a lot of care and no small expense has gone into putting this DVD together. The camera work is top notch and the quality is pin sharp. Sound wise it’s crystal clear and unlike many live DVDs considerable attention has also been paid to the sound and mastering. No cheapo clamshells for the cover either as Climate Control pull out all the stops with a snappy full colour digipak which typifies the sheer attention to detail and effort that has gone into this release. Again, another essential purchase from the folks at Climate Control - If only every other record company would follow their example! |